Warning over electricity dangers this Christmas

David Sedgwick

Officials at Northern Powergrid have put keeping children safe at the top of their Christmas wishlist.

Parents are being urged to help spread vital safety messages this Christmas.

After the schools broke up for Christmas, the company – which manages the network that delivers electricity to 3.9 million homes and businesses across the north east, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire – is asking parents to make reminding their children about the potential dangers of electricity a priority on their Christmas ‘to do’ list.

Over the coming weeks thousands of children across the region will be out and about with friends and enjoying their new Christmas presents, making it vital they know how to play safe and understand the dangers of climbing pylons or playing near overhead power lines and substations.

Geoff Earl, director of safety, health and environment at Northern Powergrid, said: “Ensuring local children have a safe holiday season is at the top of our Christmas wish list.

“If youngsters understand the dangers of playing near power lines and substations and realise that interfering, accidentally or otherwise, with any part of the electricity network can potentially prove fatal, they are able to avoid potential dangers and keep themselves safe this Christmas break.

“We know how busy this time of year can be for everyone but a two-minute chat by parents is all it takes to remind their children about the potential hazards and ensure they know what to do if they accidently kick their new football into a substation or see something hanging from our power lines.”

Northern Powergrid is reminding people that retrieving items yourself from its substations or network is extremely dangerous. Instead if you spot anything potentially unsafe call the company’s 24-hour emergency contact centre team who will send an engineering team out to help.

Anyone looking for help to talk to their children about the dangers of electricity can visit Northern Powergrid’s website www.thefusebox.northernpowergrid.com/page/zone/parent/index